Releasable holder for rod



n 5111164, 1957 R. L. MENEGUS ErAL 2,794,670

RELEASABLE HOLDER FOR ROD Filed June 30', 1954 2,794,670 RELEASABLE HOLDER non Roto Robert L. Menegns, Wilmington,v and-` Richard L. Akers; Claymont, Del., assignors to the United States of America as represented' by the-United States Atomic Energy Commission Appncafiunrune 30, 1954, serial'No. 440,577'

3 Claims. (Cl. 294-102) 1V vent such relative movement when the' device holds `the object' suspended in order that the article may not drop and thus dod'arnage to itself or lother-articles.y

An object of the present invention is to prevent release of aholdingldevi'ce when it is holding an article suspendedl According tothe invention, the relation of the device to the article in itssu'spended condition' isvsuch as' to prevent-re'- lease fr'orr'i the'holding device.

Otherobjects will become' apparent from' the detailed description that follows and' from the attached' drawings, inwhi'ch:

Fig. l is avertical sectional view taken through' the holding device ofthe-present'- inv'ention' and of an articlev -susp'erided'from thelholdin'g device;l

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sec'tionalrviewv taken' on they line 2*-2`of-Fig. l;

Figi 3 is a vertical sectional vien/'similarV to Fig. l but showing tliearticle a self-supportingl position and they deviceready tobe'lifted'away,from'the article; and

Fig.AY 4f isa verticalsec'tional View's'iini1arto`-Figs. l and but s'li'owing the article and holding' device ready for reen gag'ementfwithone another.

TheA holding device' of the present invention is designated by the reference character 1t) and comprises a hollow'l inner member 11,2, hollow outer member 12,.a plurality of latching jaws 13, a plunger 1'4,.and a plurality of balls 15. -As indicated in Fig'. 2, therel are four latching jawsi'; There areV four balls'15.

Thehollow-l inner member 1-1 comprisesatubular sectionf6 and a rod' 177 securedv thereto by a' pin 18- extending upwardly therefrom. The' lower endfof the-tubu- 'la'r section 15 has two spaced'.circumferential'ribs or anges 1'9`3ar1'd Z'l'lwliich engagea groove 21 and a projection 22' formedon each-latchin'g jaw 13, whereby theY jaws' are supported fromthe 'lower en'd'f of the inner member 11- anddepend therefromvso as tot'erm'in'ate inl enlarged'ends" 23: This'arrangement'permits the jaws-13 to 'pivoton the projection 22"in\\'/a.rdetoV grasp 'an-article or outward'to release it.

The hollow outer member 12 comprises a lower 'sleeve 24 and an upper sleeve 25 having a threaded connection therewith; The' lower sleeve' 22%V` has; internalr circumferential rib 26 having a= portion 27 o'f` a'certain internal diameter andfa'portion 28 of an internal diametersmaller their that ot the portion 271 When'a's" shown in Fig. kl thezholdingr device 1li" supports" any article' 29 therein,` the' outerfsidesnotjthe lower jaw-endsZS'engage the large; diameter rib portion 27' o'f-the'outr'meber 12 andithe juncture or shoulder formed between the rib portions 27 and 2S, and the inner sides of the lower jaw ends engage a shoulder 30 and a juncture between this shoulder and a nited tates Patenti 1 2,794,676 Patate?. leest. .1???

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head 31 both formed on the article: 29 and is smaller in' diameter than the head a'nd larger in diameter than neck 32 formed below yshoulder 30. The article head 31 has a reduced extensionY 33. Aboveprojectionst22 the jaws' 13 have upward extensions 33a which in the released'position' of Fig. 4 are engaged by rib portion'- 28` topivot the jaws suiciently to clear the'head 31.

The upper sleeve 25 of the outer member 12y has an interna'l shoulder 34' whichA inthe position of Fig. l engages the upper end of the tubular section 16 of the innerY member 11. Thereby downward movementv of' the outer member 12 with respect to the rest of the holding device` 1`0" is limited to the position shown infFigl` in which the jw ends' 23 are held by the' rib 26 againstV theshoulder 30` ofthe article 2?. Above the rib 26'the' lower sleeve' 24'hs a portion 35 which'is of larger internal diameter than the' rib 26 and extends upwardly therefrom for -aconsiderable distance, and a portion 36 which` is of smaller internal diameter than the portion 35" andext'ends' upwardly theref fromf'or a considerable distance. Aninternal shoulder 37 is formed' on the lower sleeve 24 between thelargediameter portion' 35 and the smalhdiameter portion 36;

The plunger 14' which' is slidably mountediny theftubular section I6 of the inner member 11', has an upper eri--v larged head 39, a lower enlarged head 40 inf the form of a ringithreaded'to the reducedlower end of theI plunger, a portionl 41 which is directly below the upper head 39Y and has a diameter smalilertlianthat of the upper head, andY a? portion' 42 which isI directlyV below' the' portion 41 and? has a' smaller diameter than' the portion 41'. A' shoulderv 43' is formed on the plunger 1'4 between" the`A` large-'diameter portionv 41X and the small-diameter portion 42. Y

The balls 15are'fn1'ountedin radialpassageways formed? in the'tubu'lar section- 1'6 `of'theinner member' 11, and' their positions in such passages are determined by what portions'of the plunger 14'v andthe'outer lower sleeve 24Y ie opposite the balls.y When the parts of the'holding d'evice 10 occupy the positionofFig` l', the` ballstlS" are engaged by the small-diameter portion''offthe sleeve 24 and thus are forced'toprotrude inwardly enough so as to engage the shoulder 43 on the plunger 14 and thus tov prevent the plunger from'being'depressed below the position of'Fig. l,'in spite ofthe spring'44, which'lieswithin the upper end of the tubular section`l6ofthe-inrierniem ber 11 and reacts at one end against the` rod 17 of theV inner member 11 and at the other end againstthe upper head'39 on the plunger 14. In'th'is position-lof the plunger the'lower head 40 lies spaced from the'lower end of the innermember 11 and the head extension 331form'ecl` on theV article 29'.

When thearticle 29 and the holding.' device 10`r aretposi tioned as shown in Fig. l and thearticle is` completely supportedin the holding` device and is'Without'support from below, thereis no Way of accidentally dislodgingv the article from the holdingdevice. Theintrnal 'rib'26onf therouter memberlZ holds the ljaw ends23-in"=andmakes' them -forn aspace too small for the 'article'head' 31 to pa'ss through. The` outer member 1`2 ca'nrrot bemoved' upi wardlyr withre'spect to the "balanceofthe' 'hoildingedevice 10', because engagement of the jaw' endsf'23 with: thei shoulder 30"on the larticle 'prevenfs'ithetjawends from" moving inward, and/thusl the jaw ciids" c'a'linof clear'ithe small-diameter ribportio'n 2Sjo' the otei member' 1-2. 't

When the' article 29 is to be relea'sdfronrthe H dirign device 10, the article'is raised by support jai' lower endto theA position o'fiFig. 3'; which 32-of-the-articlelies'oppositetth jaw e'ridsa'rii'f p n extension 33 on the article `engages tlflciwelieiid'dii"tlieJ plunger 14. The plunger is raised very slightly to relieve the pressure of its shoulder 43 against the balls 15 and bring thesmall-diameter portion 42 opposite the balls 15. Now the outer member 12 can be and is lifted as shown in Fig. 3, because the jaw ends 23 can move inwards'enough toward the neck 32 of the article 29 toV permit the internal rib 26 of the outer member 12 to clear the jaw ends. When the outer member 12 is lifted suiciently, an internal shoulder 4S formed by the upper end of the'lower sleeve 24 of the outer member will engage an externalshoulder V46 formed on the tubular section 16 of the inner member 11. At the same time as outer member 12 is lifted, the small-diameter rib portion 28 slidingly engages the jaw extensions 33a to pivot the jaw ends 23 clear of head 31. Further lifting of the outer member 12 will produce lifting of the entire holding device 10.

In the meantime the large-diameter portion of the lower sleeve 24 will have been moved opposite the balls 15, with the result that they will have moved outwardly to permit they spring 44 to depress the plunger 14 suiciently to bring the large-diameter portion 41 of the plunger opposite the balls 15, as shown in Fig. 4. Now the outer member 12 is held in raised position with respect to the balance of the holding device 10, because the balls 15, being engaged by the large-diameter portion 41 of the plunger 14, will not permit the outer member 12 to go below a position involving engagement of the balls with the shoulder 37 formed in the outer member 12.

When the article 29 is to be reengaged by the holding device 10, the holding device is lowered onto the article as shown in Fig. 4 so that the plunger 14 is raised because of the engagement of its lower head with the head extension 33 on the article 29 sufliciently to bring the small-diameter portion 42 of the plunger opposite the balls 15. Now the balls may move inwardly, and the outer member 12 moves downwards with respect to the rest of the device to bring the small-diameter portion 36 of the outer member 12 opposite the balls 15 and the internal rib 26 down to the jaw ends 23, all as shown in Fig. l. The article 29 is now reengaged by the holding device 10 and the plunger 14 is again in elevated position.V

The intention is to limit the invention only within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A holding device for an article having at one end a head, a reduced neck, and a shoulder lying between the head and the neck and being larger in diameter than the neck and smaller in diameter than the head, said holding device comprising an inner member adapted to be positioned beyond said one end of the article and having a pair of spaced circumferential anges, a plurality of latching jaws having grooves and projections engaging the flanges on the inner member and enlarged ends adapted to engage the shoulder on the article, and a hollow outer member containing the inner member and the latching jaws and longitudinally movable therewith,

saidinner member and said outer member being independently manipulatable and said outer member having an internal circumferential rib engageable with the enlarged ends on the latching jaws for holding them against the shoulder on the article.

2. The holding device specified in claim l, the internal circumferential rib on the outer member having two portions of .relatively large and small diameters, the article when suspended in the holding device having its shoulder and the juncture between its shoulder and its head in engagement with the enlarged ends of the latching jaws, said enlarged ends also engaging the largediameter portion of the rib on the outer member and the juncture between the large-diameter portion and the small diameter portion of the rib on the outer member, whereby engagement of the'rib on the outer member with the enlarged ends of the latching jaws prevents outward movement thereof and downward movement of the article out of the holding device, and engagement of the shoulder on the article with the enlarged ends of the latching jaws prevents inward movement thereof and upward movement of the outer member with respect to the latching jaws.

3. A holding device for an article having at one end a head, a reduced neck, and a shoulder lying between the head and the neck and being larger in diameter than the neck and smaller in diameter than the head, said holding device comprising a hollow inner member having a lower end spaced from the head of the article when carried by the device, a plurality of latching jaws supported by the lower end of the inner member and depending therefrom so as to terminate in enlarged ends engageable with the shoulder on the article, a hollow outer member having an internal circumferential rib engageable with the enlarged ends of the latching jaws, arst portion of larger internal diameter than the rib extending for a considerable distance above the rib, and a second portion of smaller internal diameter than the first portion extending for a considerable distance above the iirst portion, a plunger mounted in the inner member and having an upper head limiting downward movement of the plunger with respect to the inner member, a lower head positioned below the lower end of the inner mem-r 3 ber and within the latching jaws so as to be engageable with the head on the article, a lirst portion of relatively large diameter extending for a considerable distance downwardly from the head, and a second portion of relatively small diameter extending for a considerable distance downwardly from the rst portion, means resiliently urging the plunger downwardly with respect to the inner member, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced balls mounted in the inner member so as to engage the iirst or second portion of the plunger and the second or rst portion of the outer member, whereby support of the article from beneath independently of the holding device moves the article upwards so as to bring the neck of the article rather than the shoulder opposite the enlarged ends of the latching jaws, with the result that the same may move inwardly enough to permit the internal rib on the outer member to move upwardly beyond the enlarged ends of the latching jaws, which now may move outwards enough to permit the head on the article to clear the same and the holding device to be lifted off the article, and upward movement of the outer member takes said second or small-diameter portion thereof out of engagement with the balls and brings said first or large-diameter portion into engagement with the balls, with the result that the balls move outwards to permit the irst or large-diameter portion of the plunger to move into engagement with the balls, now the large-diameter portion of the plunger holds the balls out to keep the outer member in raised position by preventing downward f movement thereof beyond a position of engagement of the balls with the juncture between the small-diameter and large-diameter portions of the outer member, and lowering of the outer member is brought out by insertion of the article in the holding device suicient to cause the head of the article to engage the lower head on the plunger and to raise theV same to a position in which the small-diameter portion of the plunger comes opposite the balls.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,728,781 Cameron Sept. 17, 1929 2,435,444 Johnsen Feb. 3, 1948 2,559,997 Pilgrim et al. July 10, 1951 2,605,131 Marshall et al. July 29, 1952 

